Evening all, I need some advice, don't want to drip feed; sorry about length.
I have large bay windows, they are 416cm wide. I bought a pair of curtains off eBay for ÂŁ70 and have had them up for 2 years. They're great quality and most importantly fit the bedroom window.
Around 18 months ago I got a local curtain maker to make me a pelmet for the living room curtains (same width etc) she charged me ÂŁ210 for a 60cm x 416cm flat pelmet.
I've just decorated the bedroom and asked if she'd give me a price to make a bedroom pelmet (as I had a lot of excess fabric in the length). So she comes round on Sunday to measure up, all is well, it'll be 25cm x 416x, she asks me to drop off the curtains on Monday and that she'll call me with a price. I drop off curtains, her son is there so I call later, she's still not there. I call on Tuesday but goes to answer machine so call again today.
She says she has already cut the curtains and taken them up and has cut the board for the pelmet... I ask the price. She says ÂŁ380.00 !!!!! I gasp and say I can't afford to pay that. She said she didn't think there'd be a problem with the price as I'd had the living room pelmet done and it's a similar sized job. I just said I'm sorry I just cannot afford to pay ÂŁ380 for a pelmet out of a pair of curtains I paid ÂŁ70, at this point I got a bit tearful....
She then said that as she'd already cut the fabric she could just charge me for taking them up and I could have the excess fabric back; if I then wanted the pelmet in the future I could go back to her. I said how much would that cost, she replied ÂŁ120!!! I just said ok as I couldn't deal with any more negotiation and I felt pressured and cornered and anxious (I'm 33 wks pg with dc3 for context).
I feel so stressed about this. I feel that ÂŁ120 is too much to take up a hem. I feel ÂŁ380 for the pelmet is extortionate. I daren't even tell me husband as he'll get stressed about it too and I already feel completely responsible and stupid. The one strong thing I feel is this: if she had told me either of those prices, I'd have said "thank you but no, that's out of our budget, I'll leave it". Now I feel I don't have a choice as she's just went ahead and started it without checking with me first.
My mum said I should just say no thank you, you should have agreed the price, you can keep the curtains.
Would that be unreasonable?
(Mum said I should go and buy two pairs of 220cm ready made curtains in the sale for the same price.)
Many thanks for reading
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AIBU?
To just leave the curtains with her...?
22 replies
Rockingaround · 18/01/2017 20:42
OP posts:
HecateAntaia ·
18/01/2017 20:51
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Message withdrawn at poster's request.
HecateAntaia ·
18/01/2017 20:53
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Message withdrawn at poster's request.
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